Category: Technique Tips

[cmsms_row][cmsms_column data_width=”1/1″][cmsms_text]Ballet posture is what sets you as a dancer apart from Joe Blogs. The lengthened neck, the broad shoulders, and the calmness that seems to exude.  Well the news is – all that calmness comes from your center, or core.  A strong core will help your ballet ten-fold as it allows the arms and legs to be free to move effortless (which is what we always want).  If you’re feeling your core may be in need of some ballet specific activation, check out this fantastic video from the Royal Ballet.[/cmsms_text][cmsms_embed link=”https://youtu.be/L6ovGVCqh2o” animation_delay=”0″][/cmsms_column][/cmsms_row]

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Demi-Pointe

Demi-pointe is the position of the feet three quarters of the way between standing flat and standing on the tips of the toes on full pointe. Demi-pointe makes the dancer looks light on their feet, and provides less resistance with the floor – hence its use in many turning steps. It also requires a greater amount of strength from the dancer to maintain turnout without the help of resistance from the floor, and to balance the body on a smaller platform.

Demi-pointe range is determined by the structure of the bones in the feet, and the tightness of the muscles and ligaments surrounding the ankle. The dancer should aim to be as high as possible on demi-pointe so as to allow the weight to continue to be distributed down through the legs into the feet without any disturbance.

When on demi-pointe, the correct classical ballet posture should be maintained at all times. The ankles should be held in line with the rest of the leg, and the toes kept lengthened.

 

[/cmsms_text][cmsms_image align=”none” animation_delay=”0″]7091|https://simplyballet.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Screen-Shot-2017-10-14-at-2.19.30-PM.png|full[/cmsms_image][cmsms_text animation_delay=”0″]A few things can go wrong on demi-pointe.  If the weight is placed too far over the big toe, or the little toe, the alignment of the ankle will be incorrect, and you will put yourself at risk of an injury.  But the sneaky, often unseen mistake that plagues ballet classrooms is the dreaded “crunched toes”.  Crunched toes, or clenched toes may be ok in normal life, but in the ballet classroom it means the correct muscles are not working (or are not strong enough) on demi-pointe.  This will also affect a dancers ability to progress onto pointe work in the future[/cmsms_text][cmsms_image align=”none” animation_delay=”0″]7092|https://simplyballet.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Screen-Shot-2017-10-14-at-2.19.43-PM.png|full[/cmsms_image][cmsms_text animation_delay=”0″]

How to fix it?

• Take of your socks and find something to hold on to like your kitchen bench
• Stand on demi-pointe and check for any “toe cruch” – you will see your toes clenching to try and hang on to the floor
• If you find your toes crunch; do this – stand flat, then rise as high as your can to demi-pointe, very slowly while feeling the whole length of your toes pressing into the floor. Stop if your toes start to crunch.
• Repeat your slow rises only up to the level where your toes start to crunch, then lower back to flat.
• Over time, aim to get higher up without your toes crunching
• Try sets of 10 repetition until you can rise confidently with your toes remaining lengthened on the floor.

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